Introduction:

When it comes to listening to and understanding German, most beginners struggle. They hear the few words they know. And the rest just fly in one ear and out the other. Does this happen to you too?

The Importance of Listening

Effective listening is a skill that is frequently undervalued in our society. Good communication skills require both effective speaking and listening. By being an attentive listener, you can understand more and improve relationships.

Some of the best techniques to improve your German listening are

1.Youtube is the best option.

You can watch any of your favorite videos in this language. I remember watching a complete live football match 2 years back. It helped in commentary vocab and improved my listening skills as well.

2.Read and listen at the same time.

Another way to improve your listening skills is to use two sources of information at the same time.

This simply means that you should be not only listening but also getting your German from another place at the same time.

The easiest way to do this is by watching a German video with German subtitles. This way, you’ll be listening to and reading the words, which will make it easier to understand everything and will help you to remember more.

3.Listen to the same German podcast every day for a week.

Find a podcast that you find interesting or entertaining and choose one episode. Listen to that episode every day for a week while you’re driving, riding the bus, washing dishes, etc. Pick out words or phrases that are difficult to understand and look them up on the first and second days. Don’t forget to hit “pause” and listen again.

After a couple of days, you should be able to listen out to these words and understand them. It may also help to memorize parts of the podcast and practice speaking them out loud. Listen for the differences between yourself and the speaker.

By the last day, you’ll find that you can understand much more than on the first day. As your ear adjusts to hearing this German podcast episode, it’ll be easier to listen to new audio in German.

4.Listen to yourself.

This way of improving your listening skills is related to the previous one. If you’re having a conversation with yourself in front of the mirror or in your head, you’re already listening to yourself. Use your own voice to practice your German listening skills!

You may think I am crazy, but I talk to myself in the languages I study when I have a shower or go for a run. I create imaginary conversations, ask myself questions and give myself answers pretending to be another person. Sometimes I even change my voice or my accent!

Listening to yourself is an amazing way of improving your listening skills

5.Put Yourself to the Test

German listening practice

Even if you do a lot of listening, nothing matches the pressure you feel when listening to native German “in the wild.” This means that even if you understand most of the German you hear in the comfort of your living room, things may be completely different on the streets of German.

Because of this, you should test your German listening skills regularly. In fact, a German test will put just enough pressure on you that a conversation with a native German speaker will seem less stressful.

With the internet, finding German listening tests has never been easier. There are plenty available online whether you find them through a Google search, an app such as German Listening Practice, or even YouTube.

To make the most out of the experience, make sure to find tests that are at your level (either beginner, intermediate or advanced) and ones that actually ask you comprehension questions that you must answer in German.